PR Musings - Opinionshttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/75707/rss.xml
enIf you could rebrand Scotland, how would you go about it?http://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2015/03/10/if-you-could-rebrand-scotland-how-would-you-go-about-it
<p>National identity and branding are closely aligned. After the fall of the Roman Empire, early national symbols such as the fleur-de-lis in France or the Imperial chrysanthemum in Japan came to represent control and geographical ownership [<em>Brands and Rebranding</em>, Rita Clifton, The Economist with Profile Books, 2009]. Indeed, for many branding enthusiasts, national flags have come to represent the earliest form of a brand.</p>
<p>It is therefore no surprise to read that a successful rebrand of Scotland <a href="http://www.kingdomfm.co.uk/news/local-news/scotland-rebrand-would-generate-77b/">could contribute an extra £77bn to the nation’s economy</a>. Modern brands have massive economic value – so why shouldn’t that apply to a country’s reputation overseas?</p>
<p>But how do you rebrand a country?</p>
<p>A report by think tank N56 and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-31583542">explained neatly in economic terms by the BBC’s Douglas Fraser</a> suggests tourism is the most defining marker for Scotland in overseas markets. </p>
<p>Apparently characteristics pushed by VisitScotland – people, enduring, dramatic – can be applied to lots of products being sold overseas. The thinking is that those founding ideals have appeal no matter what you’re selling.</p>
<p>It does make sense to find a creative base that underpins lots of different potential discussion points.</p>
<p>There is also evidence to support a move away from Scottish products: it is increasingly difficult to claim to be unique internationally – and uniqueness is an important tool of persuasion.</p>
<p>Take whisky, for example. The graphs here show how Scotch still dominates conversation about whisky compared to its nearest export rival, Japanese whisky.</p>
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<p>But just look at how much share of voice on Twitter is grabbed by Japanese whisky in a key export market – the USA. Mentions go from one in five to one in three.</p>
<p>The picture for Salmon, another major Scottish export, is just as compelling. 42 per cent of Scottish Salmon is exported to 23 countries around the world. But Scottish Salmon is neck-and-neck with Alaskan Salmon when it comes to volume of social mentions internationally.</p>
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<p>These are simplifications but it shows how challenging it is when you talk about products – there is always someone else to compete with internationally.</p>
<p>So is <em>People not Products </em>a good starting point? Is it time to refocus Scotland’s international reputation on its inhabitants, on its anthropological heritage?</p>
<p>Looking at the data, there is certainly opportunity. Various buzzgraphs show how little is made of Scotland’s people and their defining characteristics and achievements in relation to trade.</p>
<p>But with opportunity comes risk: political and negative perceptions abound due to the massive international debate about the independence referendum, so whoever takes on the task on behalf of Scotland will need to re-cast the nation’s online profile.</p>
<p>Whatever the final creative platform used, it is surely more effective to become known for one thing rather than attempt to be known for many things. Scotland’s people define the nation – remember the Commonwealth Games’ <a href="https://peoplemakeglasgow.com/">People Make Glasgow </a>mantra – and championing the achievements and character of Scottish people may be a safe bet.</p>
<p>To quote M&amp;C Saatchi’s <a href="http://www.brutalsimplicityofthought.com/#preface">Brutal Simplicity of Thought</a>, it’s easier to complicate that to simplify; simple ideas enter the brain and stick. Scotland needs to be equally brutal, equally simple, whatever its final brand.</p>
Tue, 10 Mar 2015 16:34:00 GMTBilly Partridgehttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2015/03/10/if-you-could-rebrand-scotland-how-would-you-go-about-itHow big is your data? It&#039;s not the size of data that counts, it&#039;s how you use ithttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2014/07/23/how-big-your-data-its-not-size-data-counts-its-how-you-use-it
<p>Big data. It is as impenetrable a concept for communicators as it is de rigueur. Which makes big data something of a contradiction for PR agencies.</p>
<p>The use of data is growing daily in our industry - at Grayling it now defines our way of doing business - but whatever your exposure to it, knowing what to do with data is another matter altogether.</p>
<p>Look at the evidence: 600 tweets per second; two million blog posts, 250 million photos uploaded to Facebook and 864,000 hours of video content uploaded to YouTube per day; just the word 'news' brings instant access to nearly 30,000 articles on the front page of Google News. Making sense of it all for the benefit of clients seems a long way off when you get started.</p>
<p>Of course that's why we have all invested in analysis tools: to make sense of it all. They certainly help. From identifying high-value online influencers to share-of-voice snapshots, thematic trends to peaks and troughs in social traffic - suddenly the data makes sense!</p>
<p>Or does it? On a practical level it is still the imperative of the analyst (ie. you and me) to convert the data into insight, and insight that matters.</p>
<p>The central tenet of PR is to secure influence and endorsement, to build reputation - a task made easier the more you can hone in on an audience's needs and desires. So the irony of big data is that we don't need big, we need right. Which often means small: we've all used 'targeted' in a proposal recently, haven't we?</p>
<p>The threat of big data is that it's getting bigger, more impenetrable, harder to digest. I no longer expect a quick win when starting a piece of research. I think it takes time to understand what the statistics are really telling you.</p>
<p>The tonic in all of this, however, is that it does work! I am a believer. I think rooting a strategy in data breeds a more measurable PR campaign. I think knowing a challenge - really knowing it - gives you a more honest starting point with a client.</p>
<p>So, in case the big data maze sometimes throws a dead end your way, here are five pointers - they might just allow some light to filter through the blockage:</p>
<p><strong>1. Ask not what the data is telling you, but what you want to find out</strong>: when the information starts to look overwhelming, remembering why you're looking often re-focuses your attention.</p>
<p><strong>2. Don't assume that statistics are better than intuition:</strong> you were hired for your PR instincts, so trust yourself if something doesn't feel right - at the very least, test something that you weren't expecting.</p>
<p><strong>3. Start on a tangent:</strong> if you want to understand your banana-growing client's place in the world, maybe have a look at fruit vs vegetables as whole categories, or banana food miles - specificity will reap rewards so it's up to you to think differently.</p>
<p><strong>4. Read, read, read: </strong>there is literally no substitute for actually reading the articles, posts and blogs sitting behind the data you are looking at. Do this and your analysis of the graphs and charts will be informed, not flippant.</p>
<p><strong>5. Distrust data:</strong> yes, after all that, you must be sceptical of what you're looking at. A common flaw of PRs looking at statistics is to think they are irrefutable. Information is not inherently useful, it is simply there. What's useful is what you already know, from your brief, from your industry know-how, from your experience. Combine the two.</p>
Wed, 23 Jul 2014 13:43:57 BSTBilly Partridgehttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2014/07/23/how-big-your-data-its-not-size-data-counts-its-how-you-use-itNegative tone still ruling Scottish Independence debatehttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2013/10/04/negative-tone-still-ruling-scottish-independence-debate
<p>The independence debate in Scotland has been playing out for over a year now, with every twist and turn carefully scrutinised by the media. </p>
<p>But where is the debate heading? Has either campaign claimed a firm position yet? Can voters honestly say what each camp really stands for?</p>
<p>For some time now the popular rhetoric has been that Better Together has to overcome the label of scaremongerer, while Yes Scotland needs to provide greater detail about some of the key questions facing the nation.</p>
<p>That is only going to wash for so long, and serves the needs of a commentariat keen to stir debate more than it does voters, who want plain talking and a simple decision.</p>
<p>For some time I have thought that the vote will be a vote of the heart, not the head. So I have tried to follow the tone of the campaigns, because that might serve to illustrate the direction the debate is headed. </p>
<p>Initially the debate was very negative - too many unanswered questions created too many opportunities for various contributors to explain why independence would be complicated, expensive, difficult or, well, whatever negative adjective you care to choose. At the time I thought both campaigns could do wtih more positivity - after all, surely a positive choice is more convincing than a cautious one? If I am to vote for independence, surely I want to do so with a spring in my step and a vision in my heart; and if I am to vote for the union, surely my hope is to retain something brilliant, something positive and lasting?</p>
<p>So what does the data suggest? The graph at the top of this article shows media mentions in the last 12 months for a variety of comparable terms associated with Scottish independence. Naturally these are heavily caveated statistics - no filtering of the articles has been done; no analysis of the specific use of the keywords has taken place - it's an arbitrary review of the volume of articles using these words. So, it's just a guide.</p>
<p>What the graph shows is that negativity is winning. Don't confuse that with a 'no' vote - both campaigns can use a negative tone. But it remains a disappointment of mine, as a resident of Scotland, that we don't read or hear more about the great things the country and the union is doing for us here. I am an inherently positive person and that's where my vote will go - to the campaign that persuades me of all the good reasons why I should tick their box.</p>
Fri, 04 Oct 2013 14:39:58 BSTBilly Partridgehttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2013/10/04/negative-tone-still-ruling-scottish-independence-debateFrom Touch ID to Touch PR - the future is cominghttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2013/09/13/touch-id-touch-pr-future-coming
<p>Apple's introduction of fingerprint technology on its latest iPhone is a sign of things to come. Everything in consumer tech has to be faster, simpler, easier: better.</p>
<p>The same is true of communications. Speed of communication is increasingly important. You can blame the rising use of mobile technology for that, in part.</p>
<p>It's also about modes of living. Information is what we all crave, during work and play: I want a reliable review about a hotel I'm visiting just as quickly and conveniently as I do a contact report for a client meeting. And increasingly we don't much care what it looks like, as long as the insight it provides is helpful/accurate/credible/etc.</p>
<p>So, where the iPhone goes, we must follow. The 'Touch PR' to the Touch ID is about doing the simple things fast, and the harder things better. It's about not being a slave to formatting and putting expediency first. It's about finding solutions to modern problems, and in that respect the industry is moving on well (the Grayling version of this is the #GraylingEffect and is rooted in fast, data-driven activity) . </p>
<p>But I suppose it follows that the demand from clients has to be there. I believe it is, but not homogenously, or consistently. Some still enjoy an AVE figure. Some still like nice-looking contact reports. Others want Google analytics and emailed notes within 30 minutes. This is not to judge which is preferable, but the process of change does present an interesting challenge for us all, as the world catches up with itself.</p>
<p>Can we learn much from the iPhone? Yes, I think so. We have all been talking about fingerprint technology for some time, but they have put a stamp on it - Touch ID is now here, is real, and while it has sort of always been real, it now has mainstream credence; it has arrived. I believe it will follow that the technology will prompt demand and change will follow - consumer biometrics are here. </p>
<p>The demand for faster, more intelligent communications is there and those who put their stamp on the trend will succeed most. Practising what you preach is the name of the game.</p>
Fri, 13 Sep 2013 11:40:06 BSTBilly Partridgehttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2013/09/13/touch-id-touch-pr-future-comingYour Reputation is Your Life Storyhttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2013/04/26/your-reputation-your-life-story
<p>The use of Warren Buffet’s famous quote, “If you lose dollars for the firm, I will be understanding. If you lose reputation for the firm, I will be ruthless,” is well worn in reputation management circles. </p>
<p>It neatly encapsulates the commercial value of reputation – and I like the fact he makes his point with some panache.</p>
<p>But corporate reputation management has taken a new turn in recent years. The proliferation of social media and mobile technology has pushed media consumption online and has led to far more immediate stakeholder advocacy (or detraction). This ‘socialisation’ of reputation changes the way you might offer advice.</p>
<p>As a result, I like to look at corporate reputation management in a new light. Or at least I think it’s new. </p>
<p>Tested successfully at a <a href="//www.cipr.co.uk/content/member-groups/Scotland”" rel="nofollow">CIPR Scotland</a> discussion earlier this week, corporate reputation is the Life Story of your organisation – and it is the telling of the story that dictates how quickly the pages turn.</p>
<p>Think about your own life story – it encompasses not only what has been before, but what is happening now in modern times, and you will probably talk about it in the context of where you are going in the future. Reputation is equally founded on your past, but it is developed and expressed in the context of modern times, and with the hope and expectation of a brighter future.</p>
<p>John Rockefeller once said, ““The most important thing for a young man is to establish a credit... a reputation, character.” This is as true today as it has ever been, and it is applicable to reputation management. Reputation and character are linked, and I believe a PR’s advice must extend into actions as well as words to truly affect the direction of a life story. </p>
<p>That’s why corporate reputation management is so interesting – it runs to the heart of an organisation, and its impact can have genuine commercial benefit in a holistic way. To be involved in genuine decision-making, as I am lucky enough to be with many clients, is something really worth striving for.</p>
<p>It is too easy to look at this discipline with a negative tone – it’s easy to start a corporate reputation talk with reference to crisis and issues management, isn’t it? But who would want to recount their life story with melancholy? Hope and positivity frame every organisation’s long term aspirations and choosing the right narrative for that tale can contribute to that. After all, that’s what socialising reputation is all about – sharing stories and giving a bit back so that everyone gets what they want.</p>
Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:30:30 BSTBilly Partridgehttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2013/04/26/your-reputation-your-life-storyStorytelling is the key to corporate communicationshttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2012/11/01/storytelling-key-corporate-communications
<p>Since Grayling was formed three years ago, we have gone from a standing start to being the UK’s 4th Most Rated Corporate Agency, as rated by a panel of 870 business journalists from across the length and breadth of the country. </p>
<p>It is an achievement that none of us could ever have imagined possible in such a short timeframe.</p>
<p>So how have we got there so quickly, and what have we learned about corporate communications in the last three years?</p>
<p>Right at the heart of what we do is telling corporate stories through media relations. Business audiences still consume traditional media frequently and trust newspapers and broadcasters to filter out the irrelevant and to focus in on the noteworthy. For investors, broadsheet journalism in its widest sense is still the place to get your information.</p>
<p>To have 870 business journalists tell us that the ‘quality of our briefings’ and our ‘accessibility’ is what they admire the most about Grayling’s corporate communications consultants is testament to the focus we place on getting our storytelling right. </p>
<p>So what is corporate storytelling? </p>
<p>Well, for me it’s about context, and vision. We push our clients hard to tell us about the long term – to paint a picture of where they are going, how they will get there, and why it matters. In so doing, it is possible to interrogate how that journey influences different stakeholders, which enables us to develop different storylines for different audiences at different times.</p>
<p>But storytelling is also a skill. The best PRs have an ability to second guess journalists and to provide stories in a form that works – it is disturbing to hear a journalist, as I often do, complain broadly about the quality of storytelling in our industry. </p>
<p>Another factor in storytelling is getting the detail right. For example, everyone knows about the rise of infographics, but so ubiquitous are they now that securing coverage with them has become hard work. So understanding how to punch through the noise, with clarity, visual intrigue and hard news, is vital in the process. </p>
<p>It almost feels incongruous to spend so much time on this topic given the increasing sophistication with which one tends to view the world of communications. Greater numbers of digital channels and the risks/rewards of social media have changed the landscape forever – but I can’t help thinking that it all boils down to the same fundamental building blocks.</p>
<p>Where I have seen greater change is in strategy development. That sophistication has led to a new wave of thinking and it is important to ensure your tactical execution reflects the strategic constructs that sit behind them. So developing effective corporate PR isn’t just about the storytelling – it starts with the thinking, the research and the planning.</p>
<p>Like any 4th-placed team, our goal is to aim higher. We want to build on our success and create a world class team of corporate communicators. This is where I go all gooey because despite our global credentials and impressive London-based corporate team, our Edinburgh office was picked out for high praise in the survey – proving you don’t have to sit in the City or the West End to deliver outstanding corporate PR. You can tell good stories from pretty much anywhere.</p>
Thu, 01 Nov 2012 09:07:35 GMTBilly Partridgehttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2012/11/01/storytelling-key-corporate-communicationsFred’s poll on Scottish independence reveals hand of middle Scotlandhttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2012/08/10/fred-s-poll-scottish-independence-reveals-hand-middle-scotland
<p>I was at a <a href="//www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/fred-macaulay-legally-bald-2”" rel="nofollow">Fred MacAulay</a> gig last night at the Edinburgh Fringe. Fred took it upon himself to do a straw poll on Independence, asking people where they thought Scotland would be after the vote in 2014. </p>
<p>Stirring up emotions by painting a picture of Sir Chris Hoy securing a massive gold medal haul at the Commonwealth Games, followed by the Scotland football team reaching the Quarter Finals of the World Cup in Brazil, and concluding that we're facing continuous re-runs of Braveheart on telly that year, I was expecting a partisan response.</p>
<p>Just two out of the 152 paying customers polled said Independence was coming to Scotland. That's 1.3%. The audience was generally speaking over 35 years old (it seems Fred's <em>Legally Bald</em> strapline is not exclusively self-referential) and with nobody answering Fred’s plea for a non-Scot or even non-Brit to come forward (he had an American gag), it is safe to assume that the majority of ‘voters’ in his poll could be eligible to vote in 2014. </p>
<p>Perhaps this is unsurprising to some, but it surprised me. After all, Fred MacAulay is a proud Scot, and whatever his personal slant on independence, he did try to stir up the crowd, even if it was tongue in cheek (and very funny).</p>
<p>Is this the Olympic effect? An unintended after effect of the so-called Olympic Bounce? </p>
<p>Or is it a deeply rooted sense amongst middle Scotland that the country is better off with the United Kingdom, than without it?</p>
<p>Perhaps the most telling moment of this mini hiatus in Fred’s set (which was very good by the way) was when the whole room agreed that the vote would be won on sentiment, not on economics or social policy. I have always subscribed to this view. But last night I realised for the first time that perhaps that sentiment isn’t as wholeheartedly bent on independence as one might have expected – not at least amongst some of the country’s more mature voters. People seemed really quite underwhelmed by the prospect.</p>
<p>What this means for those fighting the battle in the streets of Banff, Perth, Falkirk and all those other small but crucial towns in Scotland, I do not know. They will have much more scientific data than a straw poll at a comedy gig. But there <em>is</em> significance there – I’m sure of it. After all, around three million Scots are over the age of 35.</p>
<p>Middle Scotland is not a phrase you hear on the radio or read in the papers with any frequency. But if those taking the Independence debate to our doorsteps can win the hearts of middle Scotland, whoever they are, perhaps that could be the winning ticket after all.</p>
<p>P.S. Go and see Fred in action – 60 minutes of joy.</p>
Fri, 10 Aug 2012 09:18:57 BSTBilly Partridgehttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2012/08/10/fred-s-poll-scottish-independence-reveals-hand-middle-scotlandScottish PR scene needs to get socialhttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2012/08/03/scottish-pr-scene-needs-get-social
<p>Last night the PRCA kindly got representatives of the Scottish PR scene together for drinks and debate at the Missoni Hotel in Edinburgh. </p>
<p>The food and company was excellent, of course, but we also uncovered something rather startling: our wider industry is not networking. Not amongst ourselves. We're not sharing experiences, making new friends and contacts, learning new things and creating networks. </p>
<p>I don't think this is down to a lack of desire. Far from it - all the above are things I know young PR people want to do more frequently - the will and determination to do this is definitely there. The PRCA can play a key role in making this happen more frequently, and they also want to play that role - that much is very clear.</p>
<p>People who are starting out in PR want to learn and I think the key to success is to give them the autonomy to dictate their own social scene - let's not tell them what to do, let's leave it all in their hands. It's very clear that the PRCA wants to make it work in Scotland, and I hope they will pass on the budget and the decision making to the Frontline team, whose role it is to connect practising PR professionals from graduate level up to account director. The idea is that getting together at formal events will help to equip you with all the tools you need to progress your career.</p>
<p>Even more importantly, the Scottish PR scene needs to get social. We need everyone from graduates, account executives and managers to account directors, to show that determination to make it happen, to turn up to events and to want more from their industry. There's plenty of opportunity already of course - the PRCA <a href="//www.prca.org.uk/events”" rel="nofollow">events calendar</a> and the CIPR's <a href="//ciprscotland.wordpress.com/social-in-the-city/”" rel="nofollow">social in the city series</a> are two examples of how the industry is ready and willing. It has been quite rightly pointed out to me that more of us should take a leaf out of the book of those already making the effort, and I hope the Frontline initiative will become one further way to improve still further the social side of life in PR in Scotland, and I look forward to that happening - we're all up for it, after all.</p>
Fri, 03 Aug 2012 10:23:13 BSTBilly Partridgehttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2012/08/03/scottish-pr-scene-needs-get-socialThe forensic science of company culturehttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2012/08/02/forensic-science-company-culture
<p>How do you define your agency's culture? What makes a culture real, and something to be proud of?</p>
<p>That question is one many agencies grapple with and it’s one we continue to debate at Grayling. I do not underestimate the value of culture in PR agencies, nor in fact in any of the creative industries.</p>
<p>From attracting the best talent to keeping consultants motivated and ensuring clients are getting the best service, the culture of your company is what dictates those key performance metrics - so understanding it is naturally of great commercial value.</p>
<p>Most of us will automatically define agency culture anthropomorphically - this agency attracts that 'type' of person. As a people business, this is understandable - but you would be wise to question whether the people or the agency are defining 'type' in that phrase. </p>
<p>Instead it might be worth trying to differentiate culture from methodology. For example, the Grayling Scotland team has a reputation for doing things in a certain way - typically our campaigns are considered, well researched, relevant, politically savvy and intelligent. </p>
<p>But our culture isn't really about that - if you work with us, you'll understand what I mean. Our culture is fun, banterish, informal, flexible, relaxed...and yet we take our work incredibly seriously, because everyone is busting a gut for their clients. Our culture is certainly different - complementary, yes, but different - from our methods. </p>
<p>What I want to know, and it's an open question, is how to define those cultural building blocks in order to better exploit their benefits, for both clients and staff. If the CSI team weren't solving fictional crimes all the time, I do wonder whether their forensic skills might come in handy here.</p>
<p>Why do it? </p>
<p>Firstly, I genuinely believe that to define your best characteristics is to understand what makes you tick as a company. Secondly, to understand your company's beating heart enables you to nurture its heartbeat. Thirdly, I care enough to stupidly think this might actually be useful.</p>
<p>Of course we all care passionately about the culture of our business. But that word 'passion' is used too much these days - I remember being told by a school teacher a long time ago that I had to use the word in interviews if I wanted to get a job - but believe me, if you talk to a Grayling employee about company culture, you'll get a passionate response. </p>
<p>I think that is because we exist in our current form due to a series of mergers, and our workforce consists of a patchwork of different but equally valid and accepted types of cultural approach. The common thread is passion for the job, thinking differently and a desire to do your best, so when you talk to people about culture, everyone has a point of view based on a keenness to do better. Passion seems to be the lowest common denominator.</p>
<p>This is something I’m looking forward to understanding better.</p>
Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:05:31 BSTBilly Partridgehttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2012/08/02/forensic-science-company-cultureMurray Magic shows that it pays to be yourselfhttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2012/07/09/murray-magic-shows-it-pays-be-yourself
<p>Andy Murray may have suffered a crushing sporting defeat at Wimbledon yesterday, but it was a victory for his personal reputation. </p>
<p>Poor Andy has been criticised for years for being truculent and uninterested, but his tearful, lump-in-your-throat post-match speech live on TV sparked an overflow of genuine warmth for the 25-year-old that had never been seen before. Where he could have been facing headlines of “HERE WE GO AGAIN” or “BRIT FAILS AT FINAL HURDLE SHOCKER”, instead Andy will have woken up to thanks and praise from most of the national media. Even Tiger Woods gave the lad a thumbs up on Twitter.</p>
<p>It just shows how important it is to be true to yourself in communications.</p>
<p>I know that sounds clichéd and better suited to a wedding speech, but I can’t think of a better way to put it. Sometimes the temptation when marketing your services is to ask “what do our consumers want to hear?” – when in fact we should be concentrating on saying whatever we want to say, and saying it well. Saying it so well, in fact, with such conviction, style and creativity that your message connects because of you, not in spite of you.</p>
<p>That’s what happened yesterday – Andy’s connection to the British public was forged because he couldn’t help but be himself. He really wanted to win Wimbledon, and he really enjoys the British support. That is indisputable now.</p>
<p>Another fine example of this is the way Coca Cola chooses to advertise. I’m a self-confessed fan but that’s because I connect with the way Coke stays true to its values: of fun, of freshness, of uplifting, spirited togetherness. It’s corny but it’s brilliant – everything about Coca Cola’s advertising smacks of those core values, from the use of music to the tone of their adverts. I never feel like they’re trying to con me – it’s a neat trick.</p>
<p>Another more corporate example would be Marks &amp; Spencer – it’s safe, middle-aged and maybe a little bit cheeky; but it’s never, ever, anything but. I can imagine that was the tone Michael Marks was getting at when he opened his first bazaar in Leeds in 1884 and said “Don’t ask the price, it’s a penny”. </p>
<p>Can’t you claim this is true of any business and its marketing? Isn’t that the point, to root your message in your brand values? Well, maybe not. And this is not a forensic analysis by any means. In fact, to an extent, it’s a gut feeling – but you know what I mean, don’t you? When you read an article, watch an advert on TV or just hear someone talk? You always know when you feel there’s something missing.</p>
<p>Andy’s success is a lesson to us all. Be yourself, have faith in why you’re here, and you too could wake up tomorrow with thanks and praise from the nation.</p>
Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:30:09 BSTBilly Partridgehttp://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2012/07/09/murray-magic-shows-it-pays-be-yourself